Zuko Oneshots
by The Sweeping Channel
Summary: To all of you Zuko fans out there, here are some Zuko Oneshots that characterize your favorite Fire Nation Prince and mine!
1. The Girl in the Marketplace

Setting: The war is over. Zuko still hasn't found out where his mother is. Only one person can help him, but who? Twist at the end...

* * *

The Girl in the Marketplace

I was happy. I didn't know if I had ever felt that way before, but I was really, truly happy. I knew why. It was finally over, all of it. My months in isolation, my being on the run, it was all done. Uncle had finally forgiven me, and so had Mai. She loved me now. Aang and Katara were happy together, Suki and Sokka were with one another, and my father was in jail forever. Everything was perfect.

Well, almost.

There was a hole. A deep, dark hole in my chest that I knew would never go away. I slowly approached the gray, cylindrical building for what seemed the thousandth time, and walked down the damp, moldy hallway, almost mechanically, the red lights on the wall making the silence even more ominous. The only sound I could hear was the steady clack-clacking of my shoes on the stone floor and the gentle snores of the guards by the cell door.

"I'm here to see my father." I mumbled, and walked past him without waiting for a response, not that I got one. I banged on the bars.

"Why are you here?" he, my father, growled.

"To ask you the same question that I have been asking you for the past two weeks." I answered.

He chuckled. "Do you _ever_ give up?" he asked.

"Do _you_?" I challenged.

"Hm." he said, smiling. "Save your breath. I don't know."

"You're lying." I said through my teeth. I was angry, but I wouldn't let him control me by holding back valuable information. I'd squeeze it out of him if I had to.

He laughed. "You think I know? When I banished her, I didn't tell her where to go. I just told her to leave, to get out and go to a place where I wouldn't have to touch her, let alone be able to. As much as you may doubt it, I loved your mother, too. After that, she vanished." he said, his face calm, his voice even. I realized that he was telling the truth.

"You son of a –"

"I suggest you be a bit nicer." he said, cutting me off. "I may not know, but someone else does." After that, he refused to answer any of my demands.

I left angrily. Who did he think he was? I could have had him killed! Then again, he knew I wouldn't be able to do it as long as I didn't know where she was. If I killed him, that information would be lost forever. Still, it would have been funny to see him begging for my forgiveness as I had tried to do four years ago…

I approached the palace and noticed Toph sitting alone on one of the many courtyard benches.

"Hi, Zuko." she said as I sat next to her. "You feel frustrated."

"I am." I answered. I wondered if I would ever get used to the way that Toph never looked at you when she spoke. "I went to visit my father today. I thought that maybe…"

"Again?" she asked. I frowned. Was it _Interrupt_ _Zuko_ _Day_? "You do realize that this guy isn't going to budge."

"Well, he actually responded today." I answered.

"Really? What did he say?"

"That's what's so frustrating!" I explained. "He said that I had better be nicer to him because he wasn't the only one who knew where she was."

"To hell with being nicer to him." Toph said. "Any idea who he could be talking about, though?"

"Not a clue. _Definitely_ not Azula."

"Yeah. She's so cuckoo that she can't even write her own name without throwing a temper tantrum!" We laughed. "But seriously." she continued. "You have _no_ idea?"

"Nope. And my head hurts." I said.

"Well, maybe a walk around town will help you think again. Wanna come?" she asked. I nodded.

"Sure, why not?"

"Hey, Zuko. I'll be over there, arm wrestling, if it should be the case that you need me." Toph called. I looked up from the bracelet that I wanted to buy for Katara and nodded. Classic Toph, always chasing after guys to beat at something.

I handed the vendor the money and walked towards home. I relished the chance to be (relatively) normal. Surprisingly, very few people knew what I looked like. Unlike my sister, I didn't parade through the streets with an endless string of caravans, luxuries, and people wanting to wait on me. When I did go out, I wore the uniform of a classy general. Heck, I didn't even have a name. I was just "The General", and my scar was a battle mark.

I passed an inn. It seemed like there was an argument going on inside. Suddenly, a plate crashed through the window. I ducked quickly, my reflexes kept sharp with daily practice. I turned, just in time to hear yelling and see someone being thrown out into the streets.

"…and don't you show your face around here no more, ya here? I won't have no thieves in my house, 'specially none the likes of _you_! I don't wanna wake up with half my years earnings done up in yo' pocket! Go 'n steal from another poor soul, you Raggedy Ann, n' leave my ol' self in peace!" he screamed, slamming the door. She sat still a moment. I watched as a wide grin spread on her face. She reached into the small bag that was hanging over her shoulder, by her waist, and pulled out something… shiny, and… small. Something that looked a lot like a gold coin.

"Silly old man." she muttered, and pulled out more coins. I watched as she recovered twenty four more of the valuable tokens and inspected them. I walked over to her and leaned on a wall. She didn't seem to notice me.

"Twenty five hundred _gin_. That ought to keep me full for weeks! Not to mention the first class service I'll be getting in the Earth Kingdom inns! Of course, I may need to pay two of my precious coins for passage to Ba Sing Se, but it'll be worth it! Anything to get away from _here_." she mumbled.

"Planning to escape?" I asked. She dropped the coins, startled at my sudden appearance, and they rolled all over the ground. She hastily began to collect them. I picked one up and toyed with it. Only small business owners and nobility had this kind of currency. She counted them in her hands.

"… twenty three, twenty four…" She stopped and looked up at the money in my hand. Finally defeated, she stood, brushing herself off, in effect actually only making herself dirtier. She cleared her throat and held out her hand.

"General?" she asked. I looked at her sternly. She gave me what was most likely the most honest smile she could manage.

"They're all… beneficially acquired?" she tried. I shook my head, pointing to her satchel. She groaned and handed it over to me. I placed the gold inside with the rest of the things, including a pair of silver chopsticks, a silken hair-tie, a bronze cup, and the rest of the money.

"I see you appreciate the finer things in life." I said, covering the opening with the sorry piece of cloth that dealt as the closing mechanism. "And I'm not a General."

She looked at me for a moment, the burst out laughing.

"What? Did you go into the wrong closet, _admiral_?" she mocked.

"I'm actually the Firelord." I said, annoyed.

"Right. And I'm the Earth King." she answered. She turned away. "I hope that you realize that because of you, I just got my butt kicked for absolutely no reason. And, since I have no reason to believe that you'll return my belongings, I don't see why I should stay. See ya 'round, 'Firelord'." she teased, making air quotes around my title, then waving at me. She was beautiful, I'll admit. She had the same fair skin and ebony hair that I did, but she was frailer, more fragile in a way. I guessed that small rations had slimmed her down. Then again, with the money that she had just stolen from that nasty old innkeeper…

I looked down and realized that I was still holding her purse. I honestly had not intentions of keeping her things. However, as I turned to call to her, she had vanished without a trace. I realized how stupid I was. How could I have called her anyways, without knowing what to call her by?

I went to the marketplace everyday in hopes of finding the mysterious girl again. I wasn't having much luck. No one knew her name. However, everyone knew who I was talking about as soon as I said "small red bag". It seemed like she had garnered quite a reputation as a petty thief.

Finally, I managed to find some guy that knew where she was. For a hefty sum, he told me that she worked at the meat vendor's every once in a while in hopes of getting some food, although he hadn't seen her there for a while. Sure enough, as I approached the stand, the vendor pointed to the back. I walked around to see her trying to chop wood.

"Here, let me help you." I said. She jumped, dropping the ax to the floor.

"Stop sneaking up on me." she hissed as I chopped up the wood in one smooth motion.

"I didn't mean to startle you." I answered, carelessly wiping the sawdust off of my hands and onto my uniform.

"That's alright. Hello General."

"Hello. You forgot your things."

"I know."

"You look hungry."

"I am."

"Would you like to join me for dinner at the palace?" I asked. She smiled skeptically.

"Wow." she commented. "You're really getting into this 'being the Firelord' thing. However… I _would_ enjoy a nice meal… very well. Show me this… _palace_ of yours. But first…"

With that, she vanished inside the butcher house. A few moments later, she emerged in a simple peasant dress, red with a golden waistband. Her hair was a bit more… managed, and her face was free of dirt.

"Impressive. Did you… beneficially acquire… that dress, too?" I asked. She laughed, and took my arm as I offered it to her. We walked up the winding path that led to the plaza in front of the palace gate.

After walking a while in total silence, I realized that I still didn't know what to call her.

"Say… what's your name?" I asked, turning a bit red. She smiled.

"I'm Ping." she said. I laughed.

"_Ping_? It sounds more like a pinprick than a real name." I scoffed. She frowned.

"Well aren't you quite high and mighty?" she asked. Insulted at my comment, she unhooked her arm from mine. "I'm sorry I don't like the name my grandfather gave me! What's wrong with wanting to be different from all the other royals?" she asked. Her face scrunched up as she realized that she had said too much. We stopped walking and I turned to face her.

"You're _royalty_???" I shrieked.

"… maybe?" she answered.

"Not buying it." I said. We continued to walk.

"How?" I asked.

"How what?"

I huffed. "How are we _related_?" I said emphasizing the 'related' part. For all I knew, this girl (that, I realized, I was slowly beginning to fancy) could be my cousin or something!! "I mean, if you're royalty, how did you end up like… like…"

"Like this?" she finished. "A low-down, dirty, petty thief that has nothing to her name but a peasant dress, a few knick-knacks, and a couple of hundred _gin_ that she… uh… beneficially acquired?"

"That's not what I meant, but –"

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, believe it or not, my grandfather used to be a Dragon." she said. "He was Sozin's nephew."

"Excuse me?" I asked. She nodded.

"General Pian-Ho, the Dragon of the North. When he married my grandmother, he was well prepared to give my unborn mother anything that she could wish or. But, as complicated love triangles go, nothing seemed to work out in the end, and she decided to marry beneath her. Then, I was born. My grandparents took pity on their half-breed granddaughter and paid for my education at the Royal Fire Academy. I trust you've heard of it? You've most likely attended."

I nodded, astonished. Only the most elite of Fire Nation nobility went to that school. "But what happened?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess… I couldn't stand all of the fakeness and lying and overall superficial environment in which your popularity depended on how much money you had. So I… dumped my education and took to the streets after my parents died. I want to go the Island of Ming Long Shi."

"The Isle of Eternal Happiness?" I asked. "But isn't that just an old folk legend?" I asked. She shook her head.

"It's not. It's real, I've seen it! Well… not technically. I have a map that leads there, though. It's been passed down from generation to generation. After my father died, since I didn't have any brothers, I inherited it, so to speak." she answered.

"That's why you want to go the Ba Sing Se!" I exclaimed.

"Kinda." she answered. "When my parents passed, my best friend and I made a pact to find Ming Long Shi together. We decided that the first step would be to go the city. But the day that we decided to go, we got separated, and she went while I stayed. So now, I'll go to the rendezvous point and we'll meet."

"And if it doesn't work?" I asked.

"Grandparents." she answered. I nodded.

"Cool." Silence. "But… why did you leave? you could have been really powerful!" I argued. She blinked.

"Oh." she said to the change of subject. "Yeah, I could've, but when I look at how happy my mother was with my father, the man that she chose, and when I look at the relationship between my grandfather and my grandmother, I can't help but to wonder why anyone would choose power over love."

"I see…" I mumbled as we approached the gate. My chief butler ran towards us.

"My lord! I see that you are back from you stroll about town. Is this the… special guest?" he asked tentatively. Ping gave a low whistle.

"So you _were_ telling the truth!" she muttered. I grinned, then turned back to the expectant man.

"Ping Pian-Ho is my personal dinner guest. See to it that she is taken proper care of." I said sternly.

"Very well, my Lord. I was also told to inform you that Avatar Aang, Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Toph Bei-Fong, and Suki of Kyoshi Island are here and awaiting your presence."

I turned to see Ping's reaction. Her eyebrows were raised as if to say "the world is just full of surprises, isn't it?" I nodded at her and she dutifully followed my servant.

After a charming dinner with all of my friends, Ping retreated to her room. Two days later, she left to Ba Sing Se. I gave her a messenger hawk and papers to get her a ship for her and her friend.

Three weeks later, I received a message via messenger hawk.

Dear Friend,

Thank you times the power of one thousand suns for the resources that you supplied for me and my friend to make our journey to Ming Long Shi more pleasurable. A word of advice to you about your future endeavors. Never believe that something is impossible. Know that I have experienced blistering heat on a ship barely fit for a stowaway and hardly inhabitable. I have spent hard days at sea without food; most was lost during a storm. But on the day that I was sure we would die, I spotted land in the distance.

Upon stepping off the metal prison, I found myself to be in paradise. Sweet fruits adorn the trees and caves give us shelter. From where we are situated, we can see everything on the island, every movement, hear every sound. It's really quite primitive, the way that we live, but it is worth it. Everything works in perfect harmony, without the constant fear of trouble that comes with our society. The sky is crisp and clear, not a particle of coal in the air. The fish are delicious and fulfilling. At times, I find myself wishing you here with me. But you have you duties, and I have mine.

It is in these moments that I realize: I have found Ming Long Shi. It is everything that I have ever imagined, but better in the sense that it is real. Tell no one of this place. Part of its magic is the fact that it is unknown to the world, an evanescent, capricious mystery. Somehow, I feel that I was meant to be here.

I trust in your secrecy.

Forever yours, yet always hidden,

**-Ping**

The handwriting… it was too familiar…

Then it hit me like lightning.

… mom.

**FIN**

* * *

Have you guessed who Ping's friend is? -nod- the one and only. This story is dedicated to all those that believe in Ming Long Shi, or any other place as magical. Never stop hoping, and everything will turn out just fine.

~Sweep


	2. Little Beauty

Setting: Zuko has just joined the group. Suki is away checking up on the rest of her warriors in a sneaky prison infiltration with Bato. A storm is approaching, so those left behind are searching for some shelter while Appa and Momo find a way to take care of themselves. Little Beauty

* * *

"Ah, the beauty of civilization." Sokka sighed. I had to agree. Even though the ominous, gray clouds that forewarned the area of the impending thunderstorm filled the sky, everything was so quaint and comforting that it made me never want to leave.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see a town." Katara commented.

"Maybe I'll finally get to sleep in a bed again." Toph mused. We strolled down the street and stopped in front of a small inn.

"Should we?" I asked.

"Why not?" Aang replied. "It may not be like the royal palace that _you're_ used to, but it's still better than a sleeping bag. And anyways, Appa and Momo will be fine where they are."

"I guess you're right." I said. We walked up to the entrance as it began to rain. However, before we were given the chance to knock, a wide, old woman answered the door. Her hair was long and gray, and it hung in silky wisps around her pudgy face. Her stature reminded me of a barrel.

"Welcome, young Avatar and friends, to my humble in." she said in a thin voice that didn't match her appearance at all.

"How… how did you know?" Aang stuttered.

"I would recognize your face anywhere." she answered. "Come in."

We walked into the first room.

"This is the living room." the woman said. The walls were dark, and thick, red carpet lined the floor. A fire was crackling in the mahogany fireplace, where expensive-looking pine inlays decorated the mantelpiece. A beautiful, old mirror hung above it, and painted tapestries adorned the entrance to what seemed to be the dining room. Across from the fireplace, a beautiful, mahogany staircase led up to what I assumed to be the rooms for the guests.

We walked through a wooden door arch. The dining room was just as luxurious as the living room. A gigantic, wooden table stood in the center of a hardwood floor that was similar to the entrance hall in the Royal Palace. It was surrounded by six identical chairs that matched the style of the small end table and footstool that stood in the corner.

"This is where we all eat together." the woman continued. "Breakfast is from sunup until noon, and lunch is one hour afterwards. You'll have to pay for those meals, but dinner is free… as long as you show up. It is served promptly at sundown." We all nodded.

She turned towards us. "And my name is Chi. If there is anything I could do to make your stay more pleasurable, please do not hesitate to ask me."

It was pouring outside by now. The storm had begun pretty quickly, and it hadn't taken long for the winds to sweep through the streets like floodwater. I walked back into the living room to admire a tapestry that I had found particularly interesting. Depicted on it was a girl, no older than me, surrounded by two golden dragons. She was dressed on beautiful, flowing robes that billowed around her in beautiful waves and lines. Her hair was mad up to the finest degree possible.

_To be surrounded by such luxury, _I thought. _It must be wonderful_. And yet, the girl didn't seem happy. In fact, her expression was like that of a child being torn from its favorite toy: disappointed and utterly miserable.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A bolt of lightning split the sky and the knocking grew more frantic. I opened the heavy wooden handle. In stumbled a girl of maybe fourteen, carrying two baskets of food that were obviously too heavy for her. They tumbled to the ground loudly. The girl looked at me with a startled expression, and began to gather up the things that had spread themselves around the carpet, all the while trying to close the door against the wind with her leg.

"Here… let me help you." I said, handing her what looked to be some kind of root vegetable. She took it hesitantly, avoiding my eyes.

"LIN!!!" Chi shrieked from beyond the dining room. The girl snapped to attention. She hastily gathered the rest of the things into the baskets and virtually ran into what I assumed to be the kitchen, stepping on the panthercat that was peacefully snoozing by the fireplace. It gave a loud cry and scampered up the steps.

While everyone was milling around the dining room, I walked to the small doorway that the girl named Lin had run into. I heard shouting.

"…hurry up! Put the food on the stove already and stop acting like such a fool! Our guests are waiting! Bring them to their rooms and then get your lazy self down here to finish cooking dinner!"

I walked back into the living room as if I had been there the entire time. Lin walked to the base of the stairs and smoothed out her tattered skirt. She cleared her throat and we all turned towards her.

"Follow me." she mumbled. We followed her up the winding staircase, through another doorway, and into a hall that has doors on both sides.

"You guys can have the first five rooms on the end over there. Bathrooms are on either end of this hallway. Unfortunately, there are only two, so you have to share them. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. Your keys are in the locks of the rooms. We hope you enjoy your stay and we will see you at dinner." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Not once did she look up at us, as if she had some fascination with her shoes, which were worn and dirty.

"LIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!" Chi screamed. "I told you to get your lazy ass down here RIGHT NOW!!!! Our guests aren't going to wait forever!!!!"

Lin nearly fell down the stairs, and through the cracks in the banister, I saw her running into the kitchen, where she was greeted with more screaming.

We chose our rooms. It was then that I realized that my room didn't have a key in the lock.

"I'm going downstairs to ask Chi for a spare key." I announced, and turned towards the staircase.

I came downstairs to be greeted by – you guessed it – more screaming and cursing.

"This is disgusting! How dare you waste all of these precious ingredients to cook something as shit-tasting as this?!? _Now_ what are we supposed to feed them? The only meal you have to cook, you ungrateful thing, and you fuck it up!! Now go to the market –"

There was a short pause.

"I don't care! It's not my fault that you're afraid of lightning! You're sixteen, for crying out loud! Get over yourself and get more food!!"

_Sixteen?!?_ I thought. _She's sixteen? Why is she small? Then again, every growing girl needs her food, and if there's no food, then the girl stops growing…_

I pressed myself against the wall and turned as if I had just come down the stairs. Of course, the person that rushed out of the kitchen was Lin. And I crashed right into her.

"I'm so s-sorry, sir." she stammered nervously, and ran past me.

"Wait." I said. She hesitated, then turned to me.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, quieter than a squirrelmouse.

"It's sundown." I answered. "You don't have time to cook dinner again. And anyways, whatever you did make smells delicious. If madam would allow, I would call everyone else downstairs."

"Oh… well, I'm sure Chi wouldn't mind –"

"Not Chi. I'm asking you… madam." I said. She blushed a deep scarlet.

"I… I guess it would be… okay… sir…" she answered, looking out of the far window into the monsoon. Was there even a hint of a smile? If there was, it was gone quicker than I could tell.

"Lin?" Chi asked, poking her head out of the kitchen door. "Lin, honey, weren't you going to run down the indoor market and get some fresh supplies?" Her face, angry and hateful only a moment earlier, had transformed back into that of an innocent old woman.

"Yes, ma'am." Lin answered dutifully. "I was just on my way out."

"That girl!" she said to me. "Always somewhere else with her thoughts! She's such a dreamer, always conjuring up these stories about princes and royalty!" She smiled.

"Is that so?" I asked suspiciously. I turned to the stairs. "Guys! Dinner's ready!"

The second floor went to life with excited chatter. We hadn't eating since very early this morning, and we were ready to taste the food that Lin had cooked.

"Oh no, no! Dinner's not ready yet!" Chi insisted.

"But we're hungry and it smells good. Besides, it's sundown." I argued.

"Hm." Chi agreed, and looked at Lin, who was walking out the door.

"Lin!" she chirruped sweetly. "Will you set the table for our guests, sweetie? We wouldn't want to keep them waiting!" Lin rushed past us, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

"That's a good girl!" Chi cooed. She turned back to me. "Now… what was it that you needed, young man?"

"There's no key to my room." I answered.

"Oh, silly me!" Chi answered. "Let me give you one!" She walked over to the small end table and pulled out a key with the number three engraved on it. She handed it to me just as Lin walked out carrying a stack of plates and silverware, along with glasses and placemats. Quickly and efficiently, she set the table with all of the required elements, no doubt due to much practice. I counted the plates. Six. I turned to Chi.

"Aren't you eating with us?" I asked.

"Of course I am!" she answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And Lin?" I asked. Chi frowned, and I could tell that she was getting annoyed with me.

"Let's not make the life of our… staff… our business, alright?" she said as everyone sat down. I took my seat next to Katara, giving me a direct view into the kitchen. It was very neat and well kept. There was a small metal door in the back wall, which I assumed to be the cellar. Lin came out holding a large serving dish, a pitcher of water, and a ladle.

"Enjoy your meal." she said quietly. She walked back into the kitchen and began to wash the dishes, unaware of the fact that I was watching her every movement.

_Too bad she won't be enjoying anything,_ I thought bitterly.

~*~

After much talking and eating, Chi once again summoned Lin to clear the table, before retreating to her own bedroom. After everyone had gone upstairs, I realized that Lin wouldn't come out until I had left. So, I stacked the plates and the silverware the way that I had at the Jasmine Dragon, and brought them into the kitchen. I had saved the rest of the food for Lin and had left it, along with a glass of water, on the table.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, Lin ran to me and took the plates from me.

"Y-you don't h-have to do that, s-sir." she stuttered, and put the dishes into a large water pot. I walked out of the kitchen, but kept an eye out for where she went. After a while, she vanished into the cellar. I waited for a moment, wondering when she was going to go to her won room, but she didn't come out.

The food! I had forgotten to give it to her. Using my handy firebending skills, I reheated the plate and carried it to the metal door, which stood slightly ajar. Only a single candle lit the entire kitchen, so it was hard to see. However, there was a light in the cellar. I opened the door slowly. A set of rickety wooden steps led the way down. I had to duck my head to fit through the tiny entrance.

There, sitting on the damp, stone floor, was Lin. She was wearing a simple white nightgown, and sat in front of a broken mirror. I watched in awe as she pulled on the red hair ribbon that had kept her hair in a tight bun. Her black tresses fell to the floor majestically. I had never seen such long hair! She braided it quickly, her nimble fingers flying over her large curls. At the end, she retied her ribbon, locking in her long braid.

"Ehem." I said, clearing my throat. She turned around quickly and gasped.

"Um… uh… Chi didn't mention that I was… expecting someone tonight. I'm sorry if I'm not… prepared." she said. It dawned on me what she was talking about. I jumped down the final steps and placed the food onto the floor. I took her hand between mine. She looked at me, dismayed.

"I would never, _ever_ do that to you." I said calmly. "Never."

I picked up the food and handed it to her. "I left some food on the table before because I noticed that you hadn't eaten anything earlier."

"Thank you." she said. "Thank you for all of your kindness. But you can't save me anymore. Many have tried, but all have failed. What makes you any different?"

"Probably nothing." I said. "But I can try."

She put her hand on my cheek. It was rough and calloused from hard work.

"Then you are a fool." she whispered. I handed her something that I had wanted to give her since the moment I had met her.

"It's a bracelet." I explained. "It used to belong to my girlfriend, but I want you to have it."

"Why?" she asked.

"I dunno." I answered. "It fits you… somehow." It was a silver arm wring that twisted at the ends. Mai had said that it was too tight on her.

"Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me Zuko… Madame."

"Well then, Zuko," she answered, handing me the bracelet. "I have no need for more of my sister's hand-me-downs. I have enough."

"What?" I asked, completely aghast. "You're Mai's sister?"

Lin smiled. "I guess she never told you, did she?"

And we kissed.

~*~

"I can't believe that you lost ALL of your money!!" Sokka cried for the fiftieth time.

"I'm _sorry_!" I replied… again. I had spent almost the entire day apologizing.

"How are we supposed to buy food now?" he asked angrily.

"Why don't you use some of YOUR money, then?" I argued. Sokka sighed and I knew he was about to give the speech that I had heard on countless occasions. He moved next to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Look, Zuko. You're part of a _team_ now, and team members have to support each other."

"Don't gimme that." I hissed. "I've been putting in the most money lately anyways because you guys don't feel like working! Now, it's _my_ turn. Why don't' you guys get a job?"

"Um… because we don't have time?" Katara said. "We only have thirteen days."

"Which is plenty of time to earn some money!" I added.

"How did you manage to lose two hundred _gin_ anyways?" Toph asked.

I turned red.

"I… I woke up and it wasn't there." I answered. It was the truth.

"Where were you?" Aang asked. "I was up pretty early to meditate, and your room door was open, but you weren't there."

"I was… eating breakfast." I answered.

"That early? The sun wasn't even up yet." Aang asked.

"Lin… made me something."

"Why do I get the feeling that that something wasn't breakfast?" Sokka mused, a mischievous smile on his face. I glared at him.

"I couldn't sleep. We were… talking a little."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "Where?"

I sighed and settled into Appa's saddle, the memories of the previous night flooding my mind like a beautiful vision.

"In front of the sad princess." I answered.

"What?" Toph asked.

"Nothing." I answered, and stared into the spongy white clouds that floated leisurely below us, as if they had nowhere to be but in heaven.

FIN

* * *

Isn't it obvious what happened? But this does call for your opinion. Why do you think Lin did waht she did? Send me your theores when you review. And if you have any ideas, I would love to hear them! I'm going for the longest collection of Zuko shorts ever, and I need your help especially! I'm willing to do the craziest things, but I need suggestions! DOn't think they are limited to the time period that it is set in right now. I can do past, present future, from Mideval (I think I spelled that wrong) to 1000 years into the future. Whatever you like! Your wish is my command!

~Sweep


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